Workin’ Hard- February 28, 2011

Dear one and all,


How have you been? Really?! You've told me that there was an ice storm last week, that sucks! It was kinda cold here last week. It got down to the 40's or so...i think. This week we've been on our bikes the whole time, except when we have a member with us. We've been really busy and running around all week, but it’s been successful. We're having a baptism this next Saturday and I'm super excited about it. Her name is Reyna and she's a young single mother who really wants to change and to repent. We're also teaching a 10 year old who is in a part member family. Did you know it’s really hard to teach a little kid about the gospel in a one on one (or two, if you're a missionary) setting. It’s even harder when they're kinda shy at first. Oh well, he wants to learn about it, and the great things is that as we've been going over there and meeting with him, his older sister has gotten interested and wants to learn about the gospel now too. We've just been really blessed to have had a lot of really good lessons this week. About a week or two ago I got a strange letter from a Robert Jacobs (is he in our ward?) and all it was a poem and then he signed it, no return address. It was really strange.

So our mission goal is to contact 140 people every week. We've been working on getting that goal and by doing so we talk to a lot of strange people. Yesterday we talked to some gang members, and earlier in the week we talked to an old man who was telling us about someone named Jeff who claims to be Mormon and has a bunch of wives and is giving us a bad rep. We also helped an old lady with her groceries and now we're going to meet with her and talk about the gospel. Service really helps to open people up a bit. Que mas? That’s all i can think of for now. I'm going to try and send you some pictures. I love you all dearly!

Love,

Brea

A Day Late and an Hour Early- February 22, 2011

Family! So, the subject line of this email. I'm writing you a day late since yesterday was Presidents day, but the funny thing is we got here to the library an hour before they open but the guy here said that we could use the computers since we're emailing our family and he kinda understands because we've talked to him about what missionaries do a little bit. Last week on Tuesday we had specialized training and it was so nice. It was in our chapel and we learned about having the faith to find and using windows of heaven to find people and getting members involved. It was fantastic. We got to see the other sisters in our zone and they're wonderful. You all still know that Hna. Urias is my companion, right? I would send you pictures, but i forgot my camera cord in Michigan, but I've asked Mel to mail me a few things (or whoever wants to really) and that's one of the things I've asked for since then I'd be able to email you photos right after they've been taken and then i wouldn't have to pay to print them off and mail them to you. Oh, I did write to you yesterday, but it’s being sent snail mail and won't get there for a few days. But i did keep mission rule and write to my mom on p-day. I got your Valentine's Day package last Tuesday and it was fantastic! Hna. Urias loves her socks and I love the earring. And I do wear them sometimes. They're mission appropriate. We're supposed to wear color and jewelry, just not stuff that's super crazy. We've been missing Hna. Jensen like crazy, so the other day we sent her a small package just to say we love her and miss her and for Valentine’s day since i kept telling her I'd give her a waffle maker that makes heart shaped waffles for V-day. Only problem was a waffle maker wouldn't have fit in the package, so i sent her some other things I'd jokingly said I'd get her. I was a little sick this week. I've had "la gripa" or in English, the common cold but i think it sounds more menacing in Spanish. It wasn't that bad, I just slept a little more and Hna. Urias kept trying to tell me I was sick and I'd tell her I wasn't. We went out late one day so I could rest and yesterday I was feeling like my regular self. Only now Hna. Urias is a little tired. It was only a matter of time til we got sick, seeing as almost everyone we talk with was sick. But we're still praying that we don't get bedbugs since a couple of different families that we know have them. We've been blessed so far.




Oh, funny story for y'all. We were on our way to an appointment on Sunday and we were talking with everyone we met and this one guy that we talked to was hilarious! He was telling us that Joseph Smith is buried under the pyramids and he knows since it was on YouTube. and then as we were talking to him our cell phone rang so Hna. Urias checked who was calling and silenced it and he was sorta shocked and was like "what! You’re allowed to have cell phones?! I thought you couldn't have those or watch TV or anything like that" So we told him that we could use cell phones and watch TV and be normal people. He was slightly flabbergasted. It was just so funny.

Anyway, what have you all been up to? I've missed you a little bit but not that much. I'm too busy. Happy Anniversary Parents! Woohoo! You two are amazing. What else have you all been up to? I love you so very much!

Love,

Brea

And My New Companion is….. - February 14, 2011

Hey Y'all, I know you've been dying to know who my new companion is so I’ll just get to it. Hermana Urias is my companion and we're here in Encanto North (the same place that I’ve been) Hna Jensen left on Monday and on Tuesday i went to the transfer meeting and i got Hna. Urias. She's Mexican and Spanish is her first language and she's learning English, so as you might assume, yes we do speak a lot of Spanish together. Pretty much we've just been keeping super busy talking to people, knocking on doors, teaching lessons and all that good missionary stuff. Yesterday was super fun. We biked to church and on the way we contacted a negrito (in English, a black guy) and he was so funny. He said we were looking really good and that he had read the Book of Mormon in jail. He then asked us as we were leaving "If I come to church for a year, can I marry you?" I told him maybe, and biked away. After church we went over to a less active members house who is from El Salvador (!which is awesome!) and she showed us how to make pupusas, so now I’m an expert. Then we ate some and some tamales, and they were just as good as i had remembered them. There’s not much else that really happened this week. We're teaching an awesome young woman named Reyna. She's 21, has 2 kids and has a baptismal date for the 5th of March! One of our investigators randomly went to Los Angeles and doesn't know when she'll be coming back. We finally have a follow up appointment with an awesome family that Hna. Jensen and I found on New Year’s Eve and then taught later that week. We have a fantastic couple, Mari and Abraham, that Hna Jensen found in her area before she came to Encanto, and they love learning about the gospel and love talking to us and we love them so much. They just need to come to church. They want to be baptized; they just haven't been to church yet. So, other than all that, this week has been busy which means it's been really good too. I love you all, Happy Valentine's Day!


Love,

Brea